Seventh Season Redeux
by KABill
Summary: This is my take on the seventh season. It starts off shortly after Amanda lost the baby.
1. Chapter 1

Empty...Amanda felt empty. She sat on her and Kyle's bed, with her hand resting on her flat stomach. Most of her life she loved being thin, she thrived on how it was an essential part of her beauty. Now, now she ached to have her stomach swell with the life she and Kyle had created. The worst part of it all was that she couldn't tell him how she was feeling. Kyle was so into blaming himself that he was robbing her of that right. If he had truly trusted in her, in _them_ then she would still be pregnant.

"You okay Babe?" Kyle asked as he stepped out of the bathroom dressed only in a towel. He felt stupid for asking that question, she hadn't been okay since she lost the baby two weeks ago.

She offered him a smiled that lacked its usual brilliance. "I'm good. I was just waiting for you so I could say bye before I head into work. I have no idea what shape the office is going to be in"

Kyle rested his hands on the sides of her hips and pulled her close so that their chests were barely touching. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. "I'm sure Ryan and Jane are keeping things running smoothly."

"Ryan I trust, but Jane... Well let's just say she stood at the back of the line the day God was handing out business sense." Amanda snarked. Truth was, Jane was an amazing artist but that was where her talented began and ended.

"I'm she's done a good job. Besides Ryan is there to help."

"Okay, I need to go. I'll see you at the club tonight." Amanda gave him a quick peck and started to walk out the door.

Before she could leave Kyle caught her hand. "Promise me you will take it somewhat easy today. I still don't like the idea of you going back to work so soon. You still need to be resting.

Amanda showed restraint by not snapping at him that she would not have been so weak if he had only trusted her. So, instead she took a calming breath before replying. "I need to go back; I can't keep sitting around here all day. Plus both Dr. Wagner AND Dr. Visconti cleared me to go back to work. Even Peter thinks it will be good for me to get out of the house."

"I know," Kyle admitted, feeling defeated. Rather than let go of her hand, he stared into her eyes. "I love you Amanda. I'm sure Ryan did a decent job while you were out."

She gave him a smile and replied hesitantly, "I love you too."

As he heard the front door close, Kyle felt as though she was walking out of his life. He could feel the rift growing between them and he did not know how to fix it. They had overcome so many obstacles in their relationship to have it all fall apart now.

Amanda could feel the rift as well, but unlike Kyle, she felt as though she had no strength left to fight for a marriage that had been doomed from the start. Maybe it would be best for them to count their losses and move on with their separate lives. No, because part of her still loved Kyle.

"Amanda!" a shout came from across the courtyard.

She looked up to see Eve standing in front of her and Peter's apartment door, waving. Amanda did not reply, but turned and walked out of the courtyard. Eve just stood there sadly and watched her oldest friend walk away.


	2. Chapter 2

The bull pen at Amanda Woodward Advertising was a bustle of activity. Everyone wanted to look busy when the boss returned. Ryan and Jane had tried to discredit the rumors as much as possible, but there was only so much they could do. The most spread rumor that Amanda's husband had attacked her after overdosing on Cocaine. But most people knew that today was not a day to be discussing it.

Dressed in her business attire, Amanda confidently walked into her company. She was not going to let anything distract her from getting her company back on track. With Lexi's company continuing to grow, Amanda new she needed to land some big accounts to keep AWA on top of the industry. Truth was the company hadn't been the same since Billy left, hell since Allison left. She might have been a drunk, but she could do her job damn well.

For the first time in almost eight weeks, Amanda sat down at her desk. Almost as quickly as she sat down, her Blackberry buzzed letting her know she had a new message. It was Kyle telling her to take it slow and ease herself back into it. She knew she knew he was trying to show he cared, but it was a little late for that. Why wasn't he this concerned for her when he was doing drugs? She decided to reply later and hit ignore.

"Welcome back."

Amanda offered Ryan a smile. "Thank you. Do you have everything in order and we can go ahead and start?"

"I do, but we need to wait for Jane, she knows what's been going on just as well as I do. She also has some great ideas for the design department."

"Fine, but I hope she hurries, I'd like to get this over with and get back to running my company and putting Levi out of business."

Jane walked through the office doors before Ryan could say anything else. "Sorry I'm late. I had to pick up someone from LAX."

"You're here now so why don't you bring me up to speed."

"We have landed two new clients, Clothes Over Bros and Daisy Pottery," Jane started.

"How did you land COB?! We've been trying to sign a contract with them since they launched.".

This time Ryan spoke up. "Apparently the designer remembers Jane from her boutique. She liked that we had some one who knew the fashion industry and according to Miss Davis 'has amazing taste'."

"Good Job Jane. Glad you guys productive while I was out. Now what else has been going on?"

"We found out we are wasting money in Petty cash. No matter what we have left from the prior week each Monday we put $500 in petty cash. Right now we have about $5800. I suggest we take all but $500 out and deposit it in our account. Then at the beginning of each week we only put in what we need to have $500 in petty cash."

Amanda nodded. Here she had been worried that that her company would be run into the ground with out her. But they did just fine.

"That is a great idea. I must say I am impressed with what you two have done while I've been gone."

"Well, there is one more thing. We were able to convince Air West Airlines to come back to AWA."

"How did you get them to do that? They swore they wouldn't come back until Allison was back."

"Well, turns out Atlanta wasn't quite what she expected."

For a few minutes Amanda and Jane simply stared at each other. Ryan thought if two people were able to communicating without speaking this is what they'd look like.

"Fine, but she's on probation! She only gets one chance. If she comes into work with so much as a hint of alcohol on her breath, she is gone!"

"Deal. She is also going to need an apartment"

"Of Course she is! We'll work it out later."

They continued to bring Amanda up to speed, and before they realized, it was already noon. Amanda's secretary popped her head in the office to let Amanda know she had a visitor.

"All right Amy we are done here. Send them on in."

Jane and Ryan passed Peter as they left her office and he entered. Ryan hung back for a moment to see Amanda hug Peter tightly. An uneasy feeling begin to settle in his stomach. Amanda and Peter might have been just friends before the accident...but now he wasn't so sure. Was it possible that his brothers rash actions pushed his wife into the arms of her ex-husband?


End file.
